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| “ | I am everywhere. I am everyone. You know only what you need to know, and see what I want you to see. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc to Brannin Granth. |
| “ | The world is a perilous place for a solitary mage... sister. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc to Mel Medarda. |
LeBlanc, also known as The Pale Woman or The Deceiver, is one of the main antagonists and a playable champion in the 2009 multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends. She is also one of the two overarching antagonists (alongside the Hexcore) of Riot Games/Netflix's 2021 animated series Arcane and the main antagonist of its 2025 prequel novel Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf.
The mysterious leader of the Black Rose cabal, LeBlanc is a deadly sorceress who has manipulated the history of Noxus since the empire's earliest days. Through illusions and deception, LeBlanc can be anyone or anywhere, making her an omnipresent force pulling the strings throughout Runeterra.
She is voiced by Carrie Keranen in the mainstream series, who also voiced Satsuki Kiryūin in Kill la Kill, Mokuba Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Misty Tredwell in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, and Akemi Hinazuki in ERASED. In Arcane, she is voiced by Minnie Driver, who also voiced Lady Eboshi in Princess Mononoke, Oswalda Cobblepot in Batman: Caped Crusader, and Snoot in The Cleveland Show.
Biography[]
Lore[]
LeBlanc is an enigmatic sorceress of considerable power, with her true identity forever masked by illusions and tricks. In ancient history, LeBlanc was a servant of the dark lord Mordekaiser, who ruled an empire of death and destruction over the Noxii tribes. LeBlanc secretly hated her master and plotted against him, orchestrating a grand conspiracy to seal him away with the help of the great hemomancer, Vladimir. Seizing the Immortal Bastion for themselves, the two mages founded the Black Rose, a secret cabal that would reshape the remains of Mordekaiser's empire in their image. Eventually, LeBlanc would betray even Vladimir, seizing full control of the Black Rose for herself.
Over the centuries, a new empire rose from the ashes of the Rune Wars. Noxus, a civilization built on the foundations of might and triumph. LeBlanc manipulated the populace to forget of its own dark secrets. With the Black Rose and her power manipulating the empire's history for centuries, a new matron is said to come into power every generation. But LeBlanc's history of lies and illusions call this fact into question, with some speculating the current matron and the original may be one and the same. Once, after Boram Darkwill refused to appoint puppets of the Rose to positions of power, LeBlanc realized the paranoid Darkwill was wary of her influence and faked her death, manipulating Jericho Swain to reveal her treason so she'd be publicly "executed". In truth, LeBlanc was very much alive, and the now complacent Darkwill's mind was now hers to manipulate, to solidify her control over Noxus. During the invasion of Ionia, she orchestrated a plot to end Swain's life as a way of tying up loose ends.
Despite this, Swain survived the plot, and later did something no one expected by launching a coup against Darkwill, and with the help of the demon Raum he seized control of Noxus. Unlike Darkwill, Swain wasn't interested in making a legacy nor was he easy to manipulate, as he not only was wary of LeBlanc's machinations but also abolished the existing Noxian power structure. First, he established the Trifarix to put an end to totalitarian rule. Then, he purged Darkwill loyalists from the nobility, many of whom were secretly Black Rose agents. LeBlanc's current goal is to overthrow Swain, as she believes without assurance of her control over the Immortal Bastion, Mordekaiser may once again rise to terrorize Runeterra with his legions of destruction.
In Arcane[]
LeBlanc makes an appearance in Arcane as the overrarching antagonist, being the one responsible for the death of Ambessa Medarda's son, Kino, setting her on a quest for vengeance. When Ambessa forces landed in Piltover, her sudden appearance attracted the attention of a Black Rose spy known as Amara, who had been operating in Piltover for some time. With a bit of digging, LeBlanc's intelligence network discovered that Ambessa's daughter, Mel, was a powerful mage with latent abilities. Hoping to recruit Mel into the Black Rose, LeBlanc kidnapped her and locked her in an illusory chamber, with a puzzle inside that was designed to bring out Mel's powers.
LeBlanc, disguising herself as Kino, accompanied Mel throughout the test, manipulating her for information under the guise of "reconnecting". Eventually, Mel saw through the illusion and attacked LeBlanc, demanding to know where they were keeping her real brother. LeBlanc, amused by Mel, ended the illusion, attacking her with dark magical chains until her powers manifested into a burst of light. The Deceiver was impressed and she ended the test.
The matron of the Rose congratulated Mel for mastering her abilities, and recognizing her confusion, explained that her powers matched those of an "empath", a mage who is attuned to the inner selves of others. Upon questioning, the mysterious sorceress confessed that she was the one who killed Kino, but stated Ambessa was truly the one to blame. She then tried to recruit Mel to the Black Rose, explaining the coming calamity - rivaling the ancient Rune Wars - that her mother was about to unleash onto the world. Mel was reluctant to kill her own mother, so LeBlanc manipulated her, stating that her mother only "loved" her because she is a weapon, nothing more. LeBlanc then entrusted Mel with a magic necklace that would allow her to summon the sorceress at will; a trump card should she encounter Ambessa undefended.
During the final battle, Mel managed to defeat Ambessa with the help of Caitlyn, who removed the protective wards from Ambessa's armor. Mel used the necklace to summon LeBlanc, who restrained and killed Ambessa. However, Mel suddenly broke into the illusion and double-crossed the sorceress, sending her away before she can do any more damage to the rest of Piltover. Mel's actions impressed LeBlanc once again, suggesting that the two of them were simply using each other the whole time.
Personality[]
LeBlanc is an enigmatic master of deception and illusions, so not much is known about her true personality. However, from the consequences of her actions it can be assumed that LeBlanc is one of the most intelligent and elusive figures in Runeterra, whose patience and powers of manipulation are unmatched by others in Noxian politics. Using careful trickery, LeBlanc managed to infiltrate Mordekaiser's inner circle, taking down his empire from the inside. She trounced her rival Vladimir, forcing him to operate apart from the Black Rose, and despite her failure to kill Jericho Swain before he took power, she manipulated Boram Darkwill for decades before the invasion of Ionia, showing an immense level of political maneuverability.
In Arcane, LeBlanc's personality remains as elusive and mysterious as ever, never divulging her true appearance or name to anyone. As she had done with Mordekaiser, LeBlanc is committed to preserving peace across Runeterra, using her network of spies to eliminate any cataclysmic threats before they spiral out of control. Her ideology reflects a lonely kinship and responsibility among mages, describing the Arcane as both a gift that can fight against the darkness, but also a curse that dooms one to a life of scorn and solitude. It's implied that this is the reason LeBlanc founded the Black Rose, and that anyone who is a mage is ultimately one of them, even if they do not wish to be. However, as Mel suggests, LeBlanc's need for control has secretly left her isolated and paranoid, which is why she always hides her true face behind illusions and lies. LeBlanc's interactions with Mel reveal her manipulative side, as she suggests that Mel's mother does not love her, and that her true family is the sisterhood she will find within the Black Rose. As usual, LeBlanc is shown to be a deceiver to her core, willing to manipulate the truth if she believes the ends will justify it.
Quotes[]
| “ | The Black Rose blooms once more. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc's most famous quote. |
| “ | Truth is the greatest illusion of them all. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc in Arcane. |
| “ | We had such high hopes for him. At first it seemed plausible that he could've been the child. But then your mother led us to you, sister. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc to Mel, referring to her brother Kino. |
| “ | Drink the moment, Mel Medarda. There is no time like your first. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc congratulating Mel after mastering her abilities. |
| “ | Your talents developed quickly. It's no coincidence. The Arcane is waking up. A calamity is approaching, rivaling even the ancient Rune Wars. Ambessa sits at the helm, blinded by her thirst for legacy. Our efforts to divert her course have foundered. We can't afford another failure. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc giving Mel her mission to stop Ambessa. |
| “ | Today you've been born into a new family., from which you'll find there is sadly no return. Those untouched by the Arcane fear us. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc inducting Mel into the Black Rose. |
| “ | I salute you, Ambessa. For one without the gift, you were quite a thorn. | „ |
| ~ LeBlanc kills Ambessa. |
| “ | LeBlanc: What are you doing, sister? Mel: I see your face, Deceiver. LeBlanc: Sly girl. |
„ |
| ~ Mel's confrontation with LeBlanc. |
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- LeBlanc's splash art does not actually focus on her, it is focusing on her Mimic.
- In the early years of League, Jarvan IV was once heavily implied to actually be LeBlanc in disguise. This was retconned later.
- Her name may be a reference to Maurice Leblanc, who created another character who was a master of disguise: Arsène Lupin.
- Despite appearing in Legends of Runeterra as a spell representing the Noxian Principle of Guile, LeBlanc is stated to not be the third member of Swain's Trifarix, though it is speculated that she has at least some connection to the Faceless.
- In Arcane, LeBlanc is never referred to by name.
- Mel only ever refers to the sorceress by LeBlanc's main epithet: "the Deceiver".
- In the credits, she is simply referred to as "Illusionary Sorceress".
External Links[]
- LeBlanc on the League of Legends Wiki
- LeBlanc (Arcane) on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki.
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 Villains
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Empire of Noxus Black Rose House Du Couteau House Medarda The Immortal Bastion Others Piltover & Zaun Silco’s Crew Glorious Evolved Enforcers House Medarda Sons of Ur Others Original Lore Demacia Mageseekers Ionia Order of Shadow Bilgewater The Freljord The Winter’s Claw Shurima Ixtal The Shadow Isles Others The Void Voidborn Servants of Bel'Veth Bandle City Demons Others Darkin Others | ||